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Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
At Leafy Greens we support, sustainable organic agriculture and responsible business practices. This reflects our deep respect and love for the planet and for those around us. We use organic ingredients wherever possible, and guarantee that our products are free from refined sugars, 100% dairy-free, free from any added preservatives, are mostly gluten-free, no additives and no animal products whatsoever!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

You should try this at home! #eatwelldogood @antoniadeluca


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MANGO LASSI More than just a great tasting summer fruit, mango alkalises the body, is rich in vitamin A that promotes good eyesight, contains 25 different kinds of carotenoids resulting in a healthy immune system and is high in glutamine acid known as the memory and concentration protein. The low GI coconut nectar provides 17 essential amino acids which are the building blocks of protein and the natural sweetener lucuma promotes cellular growth. Creamy cashews give that nutty flavor and maintains healthy gums and teeth whilst eliminating free radicals and help develop healthy bone tissue. No need to think about it, just enjoy. Our Smoothies & are more than 60% organically grown ingredients. They are available in our shop, cafe’ or to order. R55.00 per 500ml #antoniasfoodblog #eatwelldogood


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Our absolutely beautiful Leafy Greens farm. Thank you for sharing your Valentine's Day with us #blessings @antoniadeluca


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BURN Tired at the end of the day? No more, thanks to this savoury juice. The blend of tomato, beetroot, carrot, lemon and bell pepper is all you need to end your day. The perfect balance of natural chemicals found in tomato helps with muscle recovery and will flush your system of toxins. Bell Peppers are high in anti-oxidants, acting as an anti-fungal, protecting your skin from damaging free radicals and as a bonus feeds your body with vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, copper, potassium, manganese, zinc and thiamine. Now you can truly enjoy your beauty sleep. Available in our shop, cafe', or order yours as part of a juice cleanse. R45.00 per 500ml, has a shelf life of 4 days and can be frozen #eatwelldogood #antoniasfoodblog #juicecleanse @antoniadeluca


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Monday, February 15, 2016

SUPERFOOD Delicious and nutritious, this power house smoothie with its 10 ingredients is a must. Firstly, spirulina increases the hemoglobin content of red blood cells, contains an active component called phycocyanin which inhibits inflammation, fights free radicals and detoxes heavy metal arsenic from your body. Secondly hemp powder is loaded with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Omega 6 helps maintain your cells, muscles, organs and mental function. The immune boosting properties of goji berries and magnesium content of almonds does wonders to your over all health. Naturally sweetened with dates, lucuma and a few cacao nibs creates a great taste. Lastly, a touch of cinnamon high in cinnamaldehyde rounds this smoothie off with blood sugar balancing, anti fungal and anti bacterial properties. Our Smoothies & are more than 60% organically grown ingredients. They are available in our shop, cafe’ or to order. R55.00 per 500ml #antoniasfoodblog #eatwelldogood @antoniadeluca


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PAW PAW LASSI This smoothie is great to have with solid foods. Paw paw helps the body metabolise other food and is high in B-complex vitamins that aid the body to convert protein, carbohydrates and fats into energy. Almond milk and cashews give it a creamy texture and helps the body utilise iron which improves the transport of oxygen into your cells. Lucuma is rich in antioxidants and adds a natural sweetness. Coconut nectar is full of raw living enzymes and contains 2 probiotics that feed and promote healthy flora in your intestines. So go ahead and support your gut. Our Smoothies & are more than 60% organically grown ingredients. They are available in our shop, cafe’ or to order. R55.00 per 500ml #juicecleanse #antoniasfoodblog #eatwelldogood @antoniadeluca


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Thursday, February 11, 2016

GREEN With over 90 nutrients and 46 different antioxidants, this smoothie gives you everything you need. Whether it's healthy fats from almonds, vitamin B12 from aloe chunks, high iron from coriander, vitamin K from our organic home grown leafy greens, vitamin C from sweet pineapple or mood enhancing tryptophan from banana - you surely get what you need. Add the energy boosting maca, regulated digestion from dates and the most important moringa which contains all the essential amino acids needed by the body. This will leave you satisfied and feeling strong. Our Smoothies & are more than 60% organically grown ingredients. They are available in our shop, cafe’ or to order. R55.00 per 500ml #antoniasfoodblog #eatwelldogood #juicecleanse #eatclean @antoniadeluca


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Not sure what to do for Valentine's day? Don't stress about the 14th February. We don't want you to limit your love to one day. Come and enjoy our Garden Party, where you get to choose your favourites off our buffet, dish it up into our compostable containers, grab your juice or smoothie from the fridge and off you go into our amazingly peaceful gardens. Pack your picnic blanket & basket (we will supply containers, serviettes, cutlery) & we will supply the rest. Our delicious desserts are also available for the picnic spread & our coffee/teas are in recyclable cardboard cups. When you are done, throw away your rubbish and go home satisfied, healthy and happy. What a better way to spend a Valentine's weekend. To ensure we are adequately prepared, please book your picnic with us in advance. We don't want you to lose out on anything #loveisintheair #eatwelldogood #antoniasfoodblog


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Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Antonia's tips for healthy living (part 4): Only grass fed animal proteins should be eaten. High quality proteins should be sourced and eaten sparingly with lots of raw greens and digestive enzymes. Other sources of protein that are easier to digest include spirulina, sunflower sprouts, pea greens, micro herbs, hemp, rice, nuts and seeds and legumes. Include healthy fats in your diet in the form of coconut oil, olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds and avocados in their raw and unheated state for a healthy heart and brain. Think about eating for longevity and choosing wisely what you put in your mouth. Food such as olive oil, raw chocolate, local raw honey, red port wine (resveratrol), contribute to a long and healthy life. Move your body as much as possible. Activities such as running, walking, yoga, breathing, taking the stairs instead of the lift will contribute to a healthier heart and a happy body and mind #eatwelldogood #antoniasfoodblog


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Just in time for Valentine's Day...What better way than to show your partner that you really care about them and their health...

The Story of my Italian Family

By:  Antonia De Luca

My grandmother, Marguerite De Luca (Ma) was born in 1930 in Cheltondale, Johannesburg. Her father owned a garage where she helped with the petrol pump readings and fixing the trucks. She was always a very handy lady and a hard worker. My grandfather, Aldo De Luca, worked at the garage too, and that is where they met. They got married very young and had a hard life together. Aldo was always working and my grandmother brought up their 4 children alone. 

Aldo eventually left Ma, they got divorced and it was a very difficult time for the family. My grandfather was not very involved in my father’s life or the life of his siblings so life was hard. My father has such a lot of love for his family, as he never really got the love he needed from his father. 
Ma moved to Random Harvest in Muldersdrift, which is the farm that I know so well. The farm was so overgrown and such a mess when she moved there, it was a challenge for her and she really found her passion for life on this farm. Every Monday night growing up we had dinner at Ma’s house. She used to make us homegrown, stone-ground polenta from her garden, brown beans that she grew too, cabbage dishes (that is very traditional to Italian fare) and salad. She was always so proud of what she grew; she loves her garden and spends lots of time everyday getting her hands dirty. My aunt Linda started an indigenous nursery on that farm that still runs today. Linda is also very hands-on and a very hard worker, she is so good with her hands too. My aunt Louise is the same; she has a love for horses and cooking. The first thing she tough me to cook was battered zucchini. I would pick the baby marrows from the garden, wash them, and slice them thin on Louise’s mandolin. Prepare my bowl with eggs and flour and dip the zucchini and pan-fry them. I learned this before I learned how to scramble an egg. 

Louise owns a Bed and Breakfast in Lanseria called Touch of Africa Lodge. We are lucky to all still live in very close proximity to each other. 


Ma loved tennis very much and so she saved up to build herself a tennis court, but shortly after it was completed, she had a terrible tractor accident when she was cutting hay on her farm, it basically chewed up her leg. After that day, she could never exercise again. 

Ma’s sister Rose and her Rose’s son Clem were brutally murdered in their house in Shelley Beach and this has been with ma since 1999, it was heart wrenching for her and has caused her a lot of pain. But nonetheless, she has continued to be a strong, hard-working woman. 

She has a passion for preserving, pickling and bottling fruits and vegetables that she grows in her garden. She has a lot to teach in terms of techniques and methods that she has perfected throughout the years. Her pantry is full of beautiful goodies. She is also an incredible cook and she never lets anything go to waste. She is also “Mrs. Fixit”, if you need anything repaired from a tractor to a jersey, Ma can do it. She loves her tools and her hands are always busy with something. I have fond memories of eating preserved peaches and homemade vanilla ice cream at Ma’s house as a kid. I would open her freezer and everything was perfectly packed. She owned 4 Tupperwares that she used to freeze soup in, and then she would take the soup and knock it out of the Tupperware and wrap the soup in plastic to store. She had those same 4 Tupperwares for over 10 years. She looked after her things so well. 

Ma helps our family with sewing our clothes, cooking our meals and doing lots of little things for us, she is such a help to us all as we are so busy. Ma lives a truly full, busy and active life. 
My Grandfather, Aldo De Luca was born to Filomena and Guilio De Luca in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. 

His family was struggling to make a living in Italy so they moved to South Africa. He grew up in Kew on a vegetable farm. He took care of the chickens, rabbits and cows, and the vegetables. He used to squirt the milk from the goats right into his mouth. It was so natural back then! He used to deliver the milk by foot to neighbours and customers. His family picked vegetables until early hours of the morning so that they could be delivered freshly picked a few hours later.  Life for them was hard; they had no electricity and so were forced to do everything by candlelight. 
Aldo had to walk to school, about 12km per day. They walked barefoot most of the way carrying their shoes so that they never wore them out too fast. In 1933 things were extremely tough during the Great Depression, luckily they could eat from their own farm. 
In 1955 Aldo started a business called Honeydew Sands with the bit of money that he had saved up from trading in old petrol trucks. He was such a hard worker that naturally he succeeded. He went on to own 4 other businesses, the last one at 74 years old, Al Fresco Restaurant, just up the road from Leafy Greens. My family have all always come back to food in some way. 

Our family got much closer to Aldo in his old age as he worked so close to our homes. He always had an interesting story to tell, he always had a very positive attitude, he treated his staff so well and he had a great sense of humour. 
We love and miss him a lot. 

WHEATGRASS SHOT The builder... Our organic wheatgrass shot, grown in our garden should be part of your daily diet. It contains all minerals known to man and is extremely high in protein. It contains up to 70% chlorophyll which is an important blood builder. As an extra, it arrests the growth and development of unfriendly bacteria, leaving your system stronger and healthier. Enjoy it's sweet flavour and feel the tingle as it passes through your body #eatraw #eatclean #juicecleanse #eatwelldogood #antoniasfoodblog @antoniadeluca


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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

ALOE BERRY Berry delight, with immune boosting properties, complex carbohydrates to slowly raise your blood sugar, vitamin C, fibre and iron from goji berries. The hint of aloe contains over 200 active compounds, amino acids (the building blocks for protein), vitamin B12 that is an adaptogen which stimulates the defence mechanism of the body. Dates contain selenium, manganese, copper and magnesium that promotes healthy bones and is a great natural energy booster. The creamy touch of cashews maintain healthy gums and teeth and helps the body utilise iron. Smile and enjoy the fresh fruity flavour. Our Smoothies & are more than 60% organically grown ingredients. They are available in our shop, cafe’ or to order. R55.00 per 500ml #antoniasfoodblog #eatwelldogood #juicecleanse #eatclean #eatraw @antoniadeluca


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You seriously need this in your life! Goji berry bar @antoniadeluca


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COCONUT TONIC Coconut water is more effective in hydrating the body than any other sports/energy drink. Combined with probiotics, this tonic is designed to support your entire body. Probiotics stimulate immune response, repopulate your digestive tract with helpful bacteria and prevents bad bacteria from invading your urinary tract. Probiotic in Greek means 'pro' - promotion, 'biotic' - life Recommended for recovery during and after an antibiotic course. No hesitation, take your coconut tonic now. R25.00 each, available to order and as part of the juice cleanse #juicecleanse #eatwelldogood #eatclean #eatraw #antoniasfoodblog @antoniadeluca


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Sunday, February 7, 2016

Meet our fantastic new range of Smoothies. Our Smoothies & are more than 60% organically grown ingredients. They are available in our shop, cafe’ or to order. R55.00 per 500ml ALMOND BUTTER The protein bomb! Loaded with vitamins and minerals, this smoothie is great any time of the day. The creamy almond butter is rich in magnesium, a mineral involved in over 300 bodily processes, It is low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats. Maca powder is added for an energy boost (endurance and strength) and to restore red blood cells, while Mesquite is a great source of soluble fiber and is part of the carob family. The mix of dates and lemon completes the flavour. If that's not enough, we add dairy-free protein powder and frozen banana to regulate your blood sugar levels. The tryptophan found in banana converts into serotonin - the happy hormone, leaving you feeling better than ever #eatwelldogood #antoniasfoodblog #smoothies @antoniadeluca


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TURMERIC GINGER SHOT: Got flu? We have the shot for you and this shot doesn't require and needles. The well researched combination of ingredients will sort out any flu bug. Turmeric is an antiviral, anti fungal, antibacterial and anti carcinogenic and contains lipopolysaccharide which is an immune stimulant. Raw honey is packed with phytonutrients, lemon is high in vitamin C and ginger helps fight flu. A touch of cayenne pepper breaks up and moves congested mucus clearing your system out. Go ahead, take your shot. #antoniasfoodblog #eatwelldogood #tonic @antoniadeluca


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Look who was at Leafy Greens this week - Gary Player visiting his Granddaughter, Antonia - special times, special family! @antoniadeluca #eatwelldogood #antoniasfoodblog


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Antonia's tips for a healthy life (part 2): It is highly beneficial to eat only when the sun is shining. Eating dinner too late does not allow your food to digest fully, interfering with the quality of sleep that you get and leaves you feeling tired in the morning. It’s a good idea to take a digestive enzyme supplement and probiotic as this balances the flora in the gut and aids with digestion. Digestion is such an important process in the body as it breaks down our food allowing for assimilation of vitamins and minerals. Food that is digested well will not stay in the colon too long. Vegetable juices are a great way to get a lot of nutrition from greens and fruits in a predigested form. The body does not have to do any work to digest juices, they can be absorbed immediately for radiant health. Our new range of juices are available for order or in the store from R45.00 for 500ml #antoniasfoodblog #eatwelldogood #healthtips @antoniadeluca


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